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21 September 2009                                                                            

Green campaign welcomes Lib Dem move to increase planting in new builds

The Greening the UK Campaign today welcomes the Liberal Democrats’ support of an amendment as proposed by the campaign to increase urban planting and green spaces in newly built developments through better use of the planning system. 

Tim Briercliffe, Business Development Director at the Horticultural Trades Association, the organisation behind the campaign, said:

“Such a policy would radically shake up the planning system and help ensure that new developments are much greener.  Our evidence shows that in the last ten years there has been up to a 50% reduction in soft, landscaped areas in new developments.  We believe it is vital to reverse this trend and that local authorities need to be given the power to ensure that soft landscaping promised by developers at the planning stage is actually implemented.

During the debate on the policy motion, Our Natural Heritage, Bob Russell MP, who introduced the amendment on urban planting, said:

“Research shows that building projects with high levels of planting have fifty-two percent fewer total crimes and that hospital recovery rates improve where planting is visible. Planting also helps with the consequences of climate change by absorbing heavy rainfall.  Local authorities should, therefore, be putting a high priority on protecting urban green spaces.”

Later this month the Greening the UK campaign will launch a new booklet for local authorities highlighting practical ways, based on scientific research, through which planting and green space can be used to meet local authority targets and policy objectives.

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Gill Ormrod, Horticultural Trades Association, tel 0118 9303132 or e/mail: press.office@the-hta.org.uk 

Charlotte Barraclough, Bellenden Public Affairs, tel.  020 7234 3336 or charlottebarraclough@bellendenpublicaffairs.co.uk

 Editors Notes:

 ·         Amendment 2 to the Natural Heritage policy document:

o       3 d) Increasing the provision of urban planting and green spaces on all new developments through better use of the planning system, including increased powers for planning authorities and improved guidance to local authorities.

 The HTA is the voice of the garden industry representing over 2500 garden centres and other garden retail businesses, landscapers, growers and suppliers to the garden trade.

 The campaign has six objectives:

 1. More enforcement by local government officers of the delivery of planting and in particular to see an increase in the levels of planting which appears on applications in front of the relevant planning committee.

 2. The adoption of model motions by councils throughout the United Kingdom calling on them to invest more time and money in maintaining and increasing their stock of green spaces.

 3. Local authority highways department officers to be more radical in their thinking about renewing neighbourhoods and especially the street scene and open space. Increasing the levels of planting they are using and taking a lead from exemplar projects within the UK and beyond.

4. Local Authorities to review their service contracts and ensure that have access to suitably qualified horticultural advice.

5. Greater emphasise at both local and national level in the protection of green space whether private or public.

6. Government to introduce supplementary planning guidance in support of the greater use of green planting in the urban street scene  and in urban open spaces.



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Last updated: 02/11/2009 14:48

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